Coaches

OUR IRI TEAM #IRI2017

Director

Rossa’s background is in Sport Science and Business Management which he obtained from St.Mary's University London and currently completing an MSc. in Applied Sports Science. Founder and Director with the Irish Rugby Institute. Rossa is responsible for the strength and conditioning side of company. Founder and Partner in tonedfit, a functional fitness studio and gym based in North Dublin, Ireland. Rossa has ten years’ experience in the fitness industry. Development Manager in Tele Health Services ltd. Rossa promotes new technology and software solutions to the Irish health industry.

Player Nutrition & General Manager

Niall has been working in the health & fitness industry for the last 5 years and is currently working as the general manager for the Irish Rugby Institute. Niall has completed a certification in sports and exercise nutrition from precision nutrition and has a degree in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on biomechanics of human movement. He has work across different sporting disciplines as a nutrition coach and consultant. He is currently involved as a nutrition coach for Suttonians Rugby Club and is the director of outlook nutrition. Niall is a massive believer that the extra needed to win a match can come from the kitchen.

Head Coach

Peter is a former professional player during his time in the UK. He now lives in Dublin and is head coach of Suttonians Rugby club. He is also head coach of St Fintan’s High School. While in the UK Peter was Head Coach of St Georges College Weybridge for 4 years and oversaw a period of massive improvements at all levels throughout the school. Peter’s strengths as a coach lie in his ability to play multiple positions and having a sound understanding of all aspects within the game. He has a real passion for attacking rugby and helping his players understand the game. He uses his own personality to drive standards and works hard to build a competitive fun atmosphere to all his teams. Peters degree in strength and conditioning science allow him to understand the physical requirements of the sport and this knowledge helps him structure his training cycles to meet those demands.

Head of Medical Provision and Performance

Darren is currently working with the Irish Women’s hockey team as their S&C coach; this team recently made the hockey world cup final and Darren passion for team performance was given an honourable mention by the organisation. Darren's sporting background is primarily in Rugby Union. He worked with Leinster rugby for 2 years prior to moving to Sydney in 2013. Over the course of 3 years in Sydney Darren worked as a Physical Therapist and Strength & Conditioning coach at both schoolboy academy level and senior professional level, primarily within AFL. Darren also works in the Irish Strength Institute as a strength & conditioning coach and physical therapist. Through his company UE Performance Therapy he also consults with teams and individual athletes across a number of sports.

Strength & Conditioning Coach

Co-founder of TonedFit, Ronan is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), qualified through the University of Kwazulu Natal, Durban, in Strength and Power Specifics and has over 6 years’ professional experience in the fitness industry. Ronan is an energetic and passionate Strength and Conditioning coach. He is determined to drag Ireland into the era of best-practice, scientifically calculated fitness: focusing on functional exercises and metabolic training programs. He wants to get rid of the over-dependence on fitness machinery and also rid the industry of misperceptions.

Head Coach

Neil Sweeney is a former professional player having played for Esher Rugby in National League 1 up until 2017. He worked for 5 years as a Development Officer for the RFU before co-founding Zion Sport. He is also Club Development Chair at Surrey Rugby and stays active within the game, as a referee and as Director Of Rugby for The University of Surrey 1st and 2nd XV. Neil also is a registered coach educator for England Rugby. Neil is a Level 3 coach and is currently working his way up through the refereeing ladder in England. This new journey has broadened his coaching skills as he part takes in numerous discussions with the world’s best referees looking at the current trends within the game.

Child Welfare Officer and Housing Administration

Marie has been involved with the IRI since its start. She works closely with everyone involved and deals with the housing of students with different host families. With over 15 years’ experience in dealing with host families and students, she is the perfect person to find the right family for the student.